Newcastle-on-Tyne

Six word Saturday

Where will I be next year?

It’s been a hectic week and I have so much to share, but I’m running out of time.  Next weekend our move to the Algarve begins.  Newcastle is just one of many places I’ll miss.  I visited the city for the Heritage Open Day event and the star of the show was undoubtedly Trinity House.  Photos inside were not permitted for security reasons, but you can, and should, book a tour. Former law courts, the Guildhall, were impressive too.

Trinity House
Home of north east navigation
Inside the Guildhall, former law courts
With fine wood panelled walls
Creatures screaming at you in the dock
And elaborately reproduced ceiling
The iconic bridge
And the Sage theatre, seen through ‘The Eye’

But who’d have thought that after all these years I’d find an area of Newcastle I really didn’t know?  I followed the Tyne out to Ouseburn, whose arty vibe and grungy, graffiti covered streets were a revelation.  Even on such a grey day, my spirits were lifted.

This may be my last ever Six Word Saturday and I’m very grateful to Debbie for indulging and entertaining me so beautifully over the years.  One thing’s for sure.  I’ll not stop exploring and following my nose.  I just can’t help myself.  🙂

Wishing you all a happy Saturday!

Six word Saturday

A grey day on the Quay

On Tuesday our luck ran out on the north east coast, and grey replaced the blue.  Was I down-hearted?  Not at all!  The Blacksmith’s Needle in forged steel still looked great, but when it started to rain I hot-footed it over the Millennium Bridge to Baltic Centre of Contemporary Art.

“Missing Time” by Serena Korda is inspired by the healing potential of sound and the Dark Skies of the Northumberland landscape.  You are invited to sit on a chair and listen to ‘the sound of the stars’.

Idea of North explores the sense of community, place and collective belonging, connecting historical moments with individual stories.  Partly inspired by Peter Davidson’s book, “The Idea of North”(2005), it poses some interesting questions.  Debbie’s a little slow with her Six Words this week but I’m sure she’ll be along later.  Meantime, enjoy her great photography and have a happy weekend!

Six word Saturday

Would anyone like a marmalade sandwich?

I had my annual Christmas jaunt to Newcastle-on-Tyne this week, and a date with a very engaging character, in Fenwick’s shop window.

He got up to some very strange antics, but then, that’s Paddington Bear for you.

The windows are skilfully done and seldom disappoint, either children or adults.  Really difficult to photograph, though.

Dawn loves a Lingering Look at Windows.  Perhaps you do too.  Why not join her?  And please don’t forget to share six words with our Debbie.  Whatever you do, have a great weekend!  And if you love snow, I hope you have just the right amount.

 

Six word Saturday

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‘But Peter, who was very naughty…’

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Every year I look forward to Fenwick’s Christmas windows in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Rarely do they disappoint.  This year they celebrate 150 years of Beatrix Potter.  What could be finer? Come window gazing with me.

What would life be without Jemima Puddle-duck?  Or handsome Jeremy Fisher?

We all have our favourites.  These cats look rather mean to me but the details are simply delicious.

And I can almost hear the squeaks of those tailoring mice.  Every year the Anticipation is the same, and every year they deliver.  I hope you won’t be disappointed.  Let’s put Peter to bed, shall we?

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Share your six words this Saturday, and have a happy weekend.

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Six word Saturday

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Reasons to be cheerful, 1, 2….

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It’s been a cold and murky old week here in the north east of England, but are we down-hearted?  Reasons to be cheerful this week include a stroll through the back streets of Durham, and a trip to Newcastle-on-Tyne to meet up with a lovely friend.  I came across a few Numbers along the way.

Share your ‘reasons to be cheerful’ with Cate at Six Word Saturday.  Have a good weekend and I’ll see you on Monday for a cool, English walk.

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Young at heart
Wheee!

I’m fa-a–ll-ing!

One of the highlights of my December is always a visit to the windows of Fenwick’s department store in Newcastle-on-Tyne.  Doesn’t it just bring out the child?  This year’s theme is Alice.

Drink me!
What’s happening?
Now I’m too big!
Much too big!

It’s not always easy to get your nose pressed up against the windows, but I did what I could. After all, you’ve got to leave space for the children!

You're a very fine looking caterpillar!

You’re a very fine looking caterpillar!

Couldn’t you please just tell me, which way?
Of course there’s room! There’s plenty of room!
Sit down, girl! Let’s have cake!
Wake UP, Dormouse!

Who’s your favourite character?  I was always a little in love with the White Rabbit.  The husband says it’s because I’m always late!  Well, maybe just a little…

Croquet, your Majesty? I don't believe I do.

Croquet, your Majesty? I don’t believe I do.

Oh, not off with his head!

Oh, not ‘off with his head!’

He IS such a handsome rabbit!

He IS such a handsome rabbit!

But thank goodness, it was all a dream!

But thank goodness, it was all a dream!

All’s well that ends well for another year, and many children, both young and old, will be royally entertained.  You won’t be surprised to know that this is my Christmas entry for Dawn’s Lingering Look at Windows.

When Paula announced that her theme for this week was Young– well, what’s a youngster going to do?  You will join me in visiting them both, won’t you?  We can stay young together.

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I’m lingering again!
Newcastle Rail Station gets a makeover

Newcastle Rail Station gets a makeover

I’ve not done too much lingering by windows lately, but a railway station is often a place for hanging about.  Usually I arrive at Newcastle-upon-Tyne by bus, so the recent improvements, blocking out those draughty spaces, have crept up on me.  But I like them.  A lot!

It's a piece of artwork, in itself!

It’s a piece of artwork, in itself, don’t you think?

And from inside the impact is even more dramatic.

The fittings form part of the whole
Almost welcoming the church inside
A window on the world
Transforming the grey
Bouncing the world around
With clipped precision

Like most cities, Newcastle has its share of windows, in all shapes and sizes.  I was meeting a friend for coffee and we stopped to admire The Gate- a cinema and restaurant complex.

Could be my kind of film!

Could be my kind of film!

We rode up the escalator for a look out

We rode up the escalator for a look out on the street

I was very taken with this structure

And I particularly liked this structure

Not exactly a window, but you can definitely see through it.  Then Waterstones upstairs cafe delighted me.  A cafe in a bookshop- perfection!  But I did have to wonder about this window.

Is the bike for sale?

Is the bike for sale?

A little strange, don't you think?

I’d rather have a view with my coffee!

The Danish pastries were very nice though.  Quite a few people have asked about the green glass structure so I’m belatedly including a link with information on the sculptures in Newcastle.

Got to see which windows Dawn has been lingering by this week.  Click this link and come too?

Thursday : Lingering look at Windows- week 49
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Central Arcade in Newcastle-on-Tyne

When it comes to shopping, I’m a bit of an old-fashioned girl.  I like nice surroundings.  I can be totally seduced by a beautiful arcade, especially when it’s prettied up for Christmas.

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Like this!

And this!

And this!

In fact, I might as well admit it, I’m a hopeless shopper!  I much prefer to admire the buildings.  As I put this post together, I’m watching the TV series on Libertys of London.  Many years ago, when I was finding my feet in the city, I did some temp work in the store.  It’s really beautiful and I’ve had a soft spot for it ever since.

These days “the city”, for me, is Newcastle-on-Tyne.  The highlight at Christmas time is Fenwick’s Department Store and its window display.  Click on a photo to see it in more detail.

Fairy Dell
Skating on the pond
And who might this be?
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair.
Next comes Little Red Riding Hood
Grandma, what big ears you have!
The ice palace
And the Ice Queen, with a foundling?
Ice perfection!
And, of course, the gnomes in Santa’s workshop.

My kind of shopping!  The window kind.  Which ties in very well with Dawn’s Lingering Look at Windows challenge.  I bet there are some more Christmas windows to see this week.  Click on the link to find out.

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A blurred view of the Tyne bridge!

A blurred view of the Tyne Bridge, through the bus window!

Not a promising start, as we drove across the Tyne Bridge into Newcastle-on-Tyne.  Only minutes before, the sky was bright blue.  I was meeting my lovely friend, Pam, for coffee so I didn’t really mind.   As usual, we had a good catch up, then strolled through the shopping centre.  Looking up, I observed that blue had been restored.

"Windows" in the ceiling reveal the blue beyond

Ceiling windows reveal the blue sky beyond

Pam was wonderfully tolerant of me happy-snapping random things. (I won’t tell you what she said about the glass in the ceiling!)  This phone store window display caught my eye.

iPhones? Yes, please!

iPhones? Yes, please!

Glad to know the Berlin temperature is no better than here!

Seems that the Berlin temperature is no better than here!

When it was time to go our separate ways, I planned to do a little shopping.  It was cold outside, but so clear and bright I couldn’t resist having a little more fun with the camera.  Newcastle is a beautiful city.

See what I mean?

See what I mean? Check out the gallery below.

Some of Grainger Street’s many windows
This is the Northern Goldsmith’s building
The sombre grey is lit by tiny fairy lights
Nothing sombre about Moss outfitters
Amazing what you see when you look up!
In sometimes rather incongruous surrounds!
Thought you'd like to see the splendid Angel of the North on the side of the bus

I really like the splendid Angel of the North on the side of the bus!

But my favourite view is still the reflected one.

But my favourite view is still the reflected one.

Thank you for accompanying me on my lingering look at windows this week.  Hope all’s well with you?  Please visit Dawn at Lingering Visions to see the other entries and maybe show us a few windows of your own.  It can be fun!

Thursday- Lingering look at Windows- week 22

Where might I linger this week?  I’ll be getting myself talked about!  I believe I promised you some English windows.  Now, how to present them?

The glass-panelled arched ceiling of Malt Cross Cafe in Nottingham

The glass-panelled arched ceiling of Malt Cross Cafe in Nottingham

You know I spent the weekend in Nottingham?  The above was the venue for the book launch of “Steampunk Apothecary”.  If you want to see some of the antics, have a look at An extraordinary, but delicious, affair.

The Malt Cross Cafe is an historic grade 2 listed building and we were fortunate to have the use of the upper gallery.  Below, there’s a bar which sells delicious savouries.

Nottingham isn’t short on interesting venues, and windows.

Don't you love the light through this window in Nottingham's Newstead Abbey

Don’t you love the light through this window in Nottingham’s exquisite Newstead Abbey?

The previous weekend I was in Newcastle-on-Tyne and found myself very taken with these windows.  I think the building is currently being used just for office space, but at least it’s still there in all its glory.

What do you think?
The prettiest windows I’ve seen in a while
You can tell I like them!

 

England’s towns and cities have some of the loveliest windows you’ll ever see.

Peterborough Cathedral
The Cambridge colleges are the equal of any in the world
The beautiful “Backs” in Cambridge
Reflecting windows in the heart of the shopping centre on Grainger St., Newcastle
English charm and very industrious, too. Whitby, of course.
The atmosphere in Whitby’s St. Mary’s is so serene, despite the Dracula connection
But for Tudor style you can’t beat York
While these filigree beauties at Whitby Abbey are simply timeless

Did you stroll through my galleries?  We really must stop meeting like this.  It’s getting to be a habit.

So, what do you think?  Can England take on Poland and Portugal in the windows challenge?  Thanks Dawn for providing me with a little more fun this rain-soaked English day.

Don’t forget to check out the other Lingering Windows entries, and maybe participate?